Armed Islamic Group

The Armed Islamic Group (GIA) was an Islamist insurgent group in Algeria formed in 1993 during the Algerian Civil War. The GIA sought to overthrow the FLN government rather than pressure it into establishing a democracy, as it sought to create a country ruled by sharia law. From 1992 to 1998, the GIA took part in massacres and terrorist attacks against its enemies in Algeria, targeting unveiled women, secularist activists, musicians, and sportspeople in its campaign of violence; the group was also at war with France, carrying out bombings and terrorist attacks against France in 1994. However, by 1996 many militants deserted due to the targeting of Islamist leaders and civilians by the GIA, and in 1999 a pardon was issued to large numbers of jihadists who decided to repent. Over the new two years, the GIA was hunted down to extinction by the Algerian Army, ending the civil war. A splintergroup, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) broke off from the GIA before joining al-Qaeda in October 2003.